SAfrican rioters target foreign-owned shops in looting spree in Soweto area of Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG – About 70 people in South Africa have been arrested in because of violent protests and looting, much of which was aimed at shops owned by nationals from other African countries, local media reported Thursday.

Residents began looting shops and attacking foreign nationals in the Soweto area of Johannesburg after a teen-ager was allegedly shot dead by a foreign shop owner on Monday, the South African Press Association said. The 14-year-old boy was reportedly in a group that tried to rob the shop.

The targeted shops include those owned by Ethiopians, Somalis as well as Pakistanis, according to witnesses. Local media quoted some foreign shopowners as saying they had left the area for their own safety.